The Brandywine Valley Association recognized Dan Greig with the Clayton M. Hoff Conservation Award for his 30 years of service actively working toward the conservation of resources in the Brandywine Watershed as well as the other watersheds in Chester County.

The Clayton M. Hoff Conservation Award was established by Brandywine Valley Association in 1987. The award honors the memory of Clayton M. Hoff, first Executive Vice-President of BVA and the man generally acknowledged to be the founder of the small watershed movement in America.

The award is presented to a person, public or private organization, or company active in the Brandywine Valley and recognizes measurable, long-term contributions to the conservation of the valley’s resources, which have been a model for others to follow and have helped to promote conservation in the Brandywine Watershed.

Greig began with the Chester County Conservation District in June of 1978 after graduating from West Chester University with a degree in Geography and Planning. His first position was as a Resource Conservationist which included working with farms in the watershed to develop and install agricultural Best Management Practices.

During his time as a Resource Conservationist he attained the U.S. Department of Agriculture engineering job approval and was the first district employee in Pennsylvania to receive this.

In addition to his work in the agricultural sector,Greigis also recognized throughout the state for his knowledge, technical expertise and vision with innovative stormwater management. This knowledge was put to good use in the development of the stormwater portion of Chester County’s Watersheds plan and in developing the new Department of Environmental Protection's Stormwater Best Management Practices manual that was published and distributed in 2007.

During the 30 years thatGreighas been involved with the Chester County Conservation District he has seen it grow from a staff of three people when he started and a budget of $80,000 to an organization that now has over 20 employees and a budget approaching $2 million. In that same 30 yearsGreighas been able to bring in at least $2 million in grant funding and donations for program implementation.

In 1988, ten years after he joined the District,Greigwas appointed the District Manager following the retirement of Marshall Haws who had been the first District Manager. In the past 20 years,Greighas guided the growth of the Conservation District which has involved adding new staff positions, taking on new projects and moving the location of the district office three times (Dague Building and Government Services Center, West Chester, and the present office in Unionville/Kennett Square).

With the mix of agriculture and urban activities in the Brandywine Watershed, the Chester County Conservation District and Dan Greig in particular have played an active role in resource conservation. The significance of the mushroom industry in Chester County led to the development of the Best Practices for Environmental Protection in the Mushroom Farm Community (1997), which provided a model for mushroom farming. Greig's work helped to establish Chester County Conservation District as a leader in developing models and practices for mushroom farming.

With the rapid development of the Brandywine watershed and other parts of Chester County, the District has played a leading role in developing stormwater management plans for new construction. To encourage innovation and design, the District provided incentives for developers who emphasized stormwater recharge in their plans. Today Chester County is a model for many of these practices and the District has developed a tour of these innovative sites.

At BVA we have always understood that very little happens without the cooperation of many groups. Dan Greig has recognized this for many years. One of the hallmarks ofGreig's operating procedure is the ability to bring diverse groups together for a common goal. The fact thatGreigis just as respected in the farming community as he is among builders demonstrates his ability to work well with many groups.

As the county was developing practices for stormwater management,Greigwas working with the Chester and Delaware County Builders Association to ensure that the prime users of these techniques would be part of the development plan.

Greigcontinues to work with builders’ groups to bring them new ideas that can be incorporated in building plans and to provide training programs so that these ideas will be used more quickly. The District also recognizes model developments with an annual award for the use of conservation practices. Working in a county which has rapid development and a significant agricultural community requires special skills.

Greighas shown that he is able to be at home in both communities and to achieve measurable results from both.

On the regulatory side,Greig's work often involves coordinating with agencies such as the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Agriculture. He also regularly coordinates with the Natural Resources Conservation Service which is a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A measure ofGreig’s success in working with these agencies is the respect that each has for his work and for the Conservation District. BothGreigand the District are well known beyond Chester County’s border. Greigis respected by all of the government agencies that he works with and the respect of his peers was recently shown through the presentation of the Conservation District Employee Excellence Award toGreigin 2006.

The Brandywine Valley Association has had a long and beneficial relationship with the Chester County Conservation District. Together with the Chester County Commissioners in 1948 BVA helped to start the Conservation District. For 60 years we have always had a friend in the district and for the past 30 years a strong and effective champion for conservation in the Brandywine Watershed.

For all of his work and accomplishments the Brandywine Valley Association is proud to present Dan Greig the Clayton M. Hoff Conservation Award.

10/31/2008